Morons for joining in first place - Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath (2016) Discussion

20...40 years and now you realize it's a joke.

If you consider someone that is age 50 has been in it for 40 years, that means they began at age 10. Kids at 10 are more impressionable than an adult of 50. From what has been shown, it is often the parents introducing the kids to it. In the case of Leah Remini, she is now age 46. She left $cientology in 2013 at age 43. Her story says she was a member for more than 30 years, which means she would have joined as a pre-teen. Other accounts indicate her mother compelled her to join it.

Ignoring politics doesn't mean politics will ignore you.
-Pericles paraphrased in <100 characters

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[–] 7 years ago

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[–] The_Grither 7 years ago

Most people should know better but there are some who are desperately in need of a place to fit in.
They have no friends or family and need to belong somewhere and this is where cults get their members.
Very few well adjusted, happy people join a cult and of that small number even less would stick around very long.
It's also how they get such fierce loyalty. If you had nothing and felt like life was meaningless then someone gave your life meaning you'd probably love them too.

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[–] schmitztracy 7 years ago

which leads to the big question: how in the world and why in the world did tom cruise join and remains in for 30 years?? scientology always went after celebs because they knew to get them they could use them for p.r. and to make them more "legit" but for years, the celebs they did get were always has beens (desperate thinking this cult had the answers for their life and their careers) or never weres (with the same mindset)....

then you have someone like cruise born handsome, healthy, never have to struggle for very long to "make it", becoming a star only 3 years after high school, then a superstar only 3 more years later with top gun in 1986, and ALL BEFORE HE EVER HEARD OF SCIENTOLOGY!!! so what he had no friends?( he did), had no family? (he did) and hollywood ass kissing wasn't enough? he needed it from his new "religion" too???!

GRANTED, cultie wife got him in (and i always think on purpose) and granted, they supposedly, allegedly helped him with his dyslexia ( a story that has changed over the years) and helped with him with his childhood issues ( a story also that has always been WAAAY OVERBLOWN)...

but so what? to get involved in this and stay involved (even after 1st wife who got him herself got out?) for 30 years risking reputation, career, losing 3 wives over it, not seeing his youngest daughter and so on and so on!

and yet? he STILL MAINTAINS 'IT'S A BEAUTIFUL RELIGION"? and "he wouldn't be where he is today without it?" COME ON!

IF HE IS THAT BRAINWASHED? he shouldnt' be walking the streets much less on a film set!....

is his acceptance and thinking it's not only normal and okay but even DESERVED! of the utterly wrong immoral, unethical, inappropriate, improper ROYAL ASS KISSING by his "religion" for 30 years part of the "brainwashing" too?

sorry but something is and always has been very very wrong here and the WHOLE picture never full told!....

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[–] nazcarfanatic24 7 years ago

I think in Tom Cruise's case, they cater to his every whim and desire, so someone as well known as him, basically has an army at his disposal every hour of every day. So just about anyone would let that go to their head. I also think he isn't really in the know of what's truly going on, I think he gets special treatment.

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[–] justanicknamed 7 years ago

They aren't allowed to learn anything negative about their "religion" and only hear negative stuff about other religions or non-believers. When you aren't allowed to ask a question about your surroundings, you don't ever question your surroundings.

At least not if you have food, shelter, are surrounded by you loved ones and feel you are doing good in the world.

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[–] Mangofish 7 years ago

Rumor has it that when they hold the cans in their hands (whatever its called) doing those sessions with another Scientologist asking personal questions that some celebrities are being blackmailed because now they know their secrets. There was a documentary that says there were going to out John Travolta (like the world doesn't know) and who knows the dirt they may have on Cruise though on Cruise they take a different perspective of just treating him like a god.

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[–] LoBo_77018 7 years ago

Poor Travolta must really be worried about his secrets coming out. After losing his son you'd think that anything else would seem unimportant. But now he has a new son - supposedly with his 48 year old wife. Makes you wonder if it was some kind of scientology adoption?

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[–] SvenViking 7 years ago

Also keep in mind that many Scientologists are isolated from conflicting information to one degree or another. More difficult to "know better" if you never learn anything else.

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[–] toddjacobucci2002 7 years ago

Easily duped schmucks? I dont think so. Even as an adult. Maybe you were raised a Catholic or Protestant and neither of those religions quite made sense to you. So, you took a look at Scientology. Scientology made sense to you, so you got involved. Every single Scientologist Ive seen speak has said the first courses did make sense and were helpful in their lives. So, at that point, you wouldn't have had any idea it was a bunch of BS. It takes getting to that ridiculous Zenu story as you make your way up the "bridge" to find out it is a bunch of BS. So, I cant blame adults that joined Scientology. Nor can I blame the children of these adults. Neither one of them knew any better. Now, if we are gong to talk schmucks, we can talk about people that are getting involved in Scientology now. With the knowledge that is now readily available about Scientology you'd have to be a complete imbecile to get involved in it.

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[–] kramsey20 7 years ago

I don't think so. If the CoS were all about "Aliens, $$$ now, LOL" the scam wouldn't have lasted for as long as it has. The church preys on the weak and the down and out. To get you to join, they tell you "I know you're in a bad place. I was where you are once. It gets better and we want to help." If you're a struggling actor or anybody who's desperate, you'd listen to anyone who says they can make you successful no matter how crazy the sales pitch sounds.

Remember, L. Ron did not write Dianetics for Tom Cruise. Celebrities like Leah are NOT the target audience of Scientology. It behooves the church financially and publicly to keep their A-List members happy but it's everyday, average Joes and Janes that are struggling in life and desperate that keep the machine running. THAT'S the true evil of CoS. The people who don't Scientology at the Celebrity Center and brunch with Miscavige every Sunday. Those are the people they're after. From the church's perspective they genuinely want to help you. They'll make you pay through the ass to get that help and said help is totally worthless, but they aren't lying about the help existing.

I don't blame people for being taken in by the CoS' advertising. They either didn't know any better, were born and raised in the CoS so that was all they knew, or they were desperate so I could understand how someone would be at a point in their life where they would join. But the people who choose not to leave when they get the chance? That's on them.

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[–] 7 years ago

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[–] rockhog-70288 7 years ago

I actually can see how people could get caught up into thinking that Scientology is the best and only way to live.
The same type of thing happened in Germany with the Nazis. If you look at some of the history of what the Nazis did while they were gaining power in the 20's and 30's compared to what we know about Scientology, there are a lot of similarities.

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[–] justanicknamed 7 years ago

I knew a couple who had been part of the Hitler Youth group. To them, it wasn't anything different than the Boy & Girl Scouts. And, they talked about how the economic depression in Germany was worse than it was in the US. So, when people started getting jobs and money to put food on their children's plate, they didn't question it.

They said they were lucky enough that both sets of parents recognized what was happening and fled before things got too bad and they couldn't leave.

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